Country Needs a President Elected by the Popular Will -The Liberal Party

The following is a statement by the Secretary of the Liberal Party, Kamal NIssanka - having studied the interim report of the steering on constitutional reforms has recommended the following features to the proposed constitution.

There should be an elected president who is the head of state and commander of armed forces. He should have the powers of appointing superior court judges and other key appointments on the recommendation of constitution council and or prime minister. He should have the powers to take emergency measures under public security and also keep any province under emergency rule.

The national day of the Republic should be the 22nd of May. Liberals support the idea of secular state and therefore though not against protecting any religion believes that state should not foster any religion utilizing public funds.

Liberals are of the opinion that the abolition of the concurrent list would be helpful to successfully run the day today work without overlapping. Liberals further believe that a mechanism should be created to run provincial councils without a governor or if there is a governor he may be a member of the second chamber. Liberals appreciate the second chamber proposal. Prime Minister may be appointed from the winning party.

If the constitution is going to recognize North and East as a single province, then there should be only five provinces. If North and East separated exiting 9 provinces would be the unit of devolution.

The party believes that judgements of proposed constitutional court could be appealed to Supreme Court. Liberals suggest to adopt the German Mixed System as the new electoral method and if the proposed method adopts members from proportional representation should be chosen nationally.

Therefore the Liberal Party though against the present executive presidency suggests to have president elected by popular will in the absence of a monarch. He or She may be

elected simultaneously with parliamentary election.